American Apartment Owners Association's (aaoa) Blog

  By making even moderate changes to renewable energy and energy efficiency policies at the Federal level, the new administration can create jobs. These policy changes will help workers put gas in their cars, food on their tables, and give people hope and reason to care about the little: picking ...

U.S. apartment rents fell in the fourth quarter from the third as the national vacancy rate climbed to a four-year high of 6.6 percent, according to a report just published by Reis Inc., a New York-based research firm.The report defies the expectation that apartments would benefit from the housin...

Landlord Liability Expanding As Bedbugs Continue to Thrive in Apartments The liability for bedbugs has burgeoned even in the time since we first published Bedbugs are Back and Spawning Lawsuits.  The Helmsely Hotel in New York City was one of the first businesses to feel the sting of bedbug lawsu...

IP and CCTV cameras used to be incompatible technologies, but thanks to the innovation of Video Save's  new CES 2 server,  IP and CCTV cameras can now be used interchangeably. IP cameras have long enjoyed the advantages of ease-of-use and ease-of-wiring. They are also easy to implement, because ...

The Orton Family Foundation is changing the way communities approach land planning, and they're doing it with heart and soul.   Founded in 1995 by Noel Fritzinger of Weston, Vermont and Lyman Orton, proprietor of mail- order business The Vermont Country Store, the foundation helps small cities an...

If all goes well, an Executive Order signed by Governor Schwarzenegger will not only advance California's transition to clean energy but boost the economy as well. According to an economic study conducted by the University of California at Berkeley and Next 10, California's policies will create a...

Citigroup, Inc announced last week that it plans to accelerate its Homeowner Assistance Program by reaching out to as many as 500,000 customers who are not in foreclosure, but are at high risk given economic indicators.  These ‘preemptive initiatives' are designed with loss mitigation in mind.  T...

The League of American Bicyclists has announced the winners of this year's most bike-friendly communities. These awards go to communities that have made measurable efforts to integrate bicycles into their communities. Ninety-six communities have been awarded in thirty two states. There are five c...

  Focus on Liability Management and Preventative Maintenance: Bats  by Michael Koski   Here's a maintenance issue you might not have considered - preventing bat infestation!   Bat infestations are more common than one might think, especially with bats continued displacement as their natural terri...

A transportation fringe benefit to bicycle commuters is tucked neatly into the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act that was signed into law October 3, 2008. Keep scrolling, you'll find it ( House Resolution 1424, Section 211, for you die-hard readers of legislation).  The passing of this act int...